Improvement in animal-traps



A. A.-HOTOHKISS. ANIMAL TRAP.

No. 111,745. Patented Feb. 14,1871.

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THE NORRIS Firm; w.. PNOTQLITHO WASHINGTON o c iflniitli S tirist am t.

ASAH L A, norcninss; or SHARON, co NEcTIcn'r.

Letters Pennant. 111,745, dated February 14, 1971.

IMPROVEMENT lhl ANIMAbTR APS.

The Schedule referred to in theleLettors Patent and making of the name.

the frame of which is of angular-form, consisting of.a horizontalbase and an n'pright'to which isattached bait-hook, setting-lerer, and choking-bow; -These traps are veryefl'ectivqbnt as heretofore constructed- With'th'e base-and upright rigidly secured together are objectionable, owing ,to the diflicnlty of packing anninber of them together, and of the great space they occupy when packeth.

The object of this invention is to'obviate thisob} 'jeetion and, to this end,-

. It consists in hingingv thelbase and upright together -in, such manner that they may-befoIded to lie parallel with each other, and consequently require very little packing-space;

' In the accopipanying drawing-- Figure 1 isa ii'ont view of my improved trap, showing it set; Jfignr 2 is a central section thereof 'in-thefsame position; g Figure 3 is a front' view, representing itclosed; and

Figure 4, a side view of the trap, also representing it closed. Similarv letters ef refcrence indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation 'ofmy invention, I-willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawing.

A and B are two metal plates, the side portions'oi.

which, near their adjacent ends, are bent atright angles to their bodies or-rnain port-ions to form flanges a a and b b.- r v These flanges constitute braces as well 'as' bearings for the pin, 0, which extends right through all of the said-flanges and serves to secure the plates A and B togethenand to form the pivot of the hinge .on which the two plates fold up, as shown in figs. 3 and 4,; the flanges a a' and b b forming the other parts of the hinge.

The flanges a a, on the plate A, fit between those I) b, on the other plate, and are rounded off topermit the folding and opening of the plates. Running longitudinally along the plate A is an iniwardly-ex'tending groove-like bend,'0, the outer end at which is slotted, and extending across this slotted portion on the-inner sideof theplate is a wire bridge, (l, by means of which a setting-lever, C, is pivotedto the plate;

This lever isrecessed at its inner lendto hold "the. choking-bow'wheu set, and uotphedatiits outer end -to engage -w'ith-- the outer end o'fthe'bait-hook G,' and can be swnpg over on the inzer side of the plate, as

shownin figs. 3fand' 4, to facilitate the packing of the ma The baitdi'ook G extends through a slot,';f, in the lower part of the bend c, and is pivoted to the plate bya bridge, g. It can be made to lie nearly parallel with the plate to which 'it is attached, so that its onterextendd portion willbe within the bend c.

- The choking-bow f is of a size nearly to correspond with the plate, and has its ends coiled to form a spring,

S,,whose ends, 13-1, bear against the plate A, and as the'bow itself, when not set, bears'against, the plate' B, the two platcs,when not compressed together, are, by the spring, opened or brought to-the position at right angles to-each. other, as'sh'own in figs. 1 and They are prevented from openingbcyohd that position by the lower edge of the plate A coming in con-' tact with the face ofthe plate B and'acti'ng as a stop. A. wooden sleeve, E, in thatportion oi" the pin 0 which isbetween the flanges a. a, serves to keep the coils of the spring S in place. 4

.As the plates A B are parallel with each other when closed, and their appendages do not project be-.

yond them, the trap requires veryjlittlespace in packing, and when used is just as effective as when the plates are rigidly secured or form'cd together.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I The trap, constructed substantially as described, with its base B and upright A hinged-to fold as and for-the purpose herein setfort-li.

' ASAHEL A. HOTOHKISS.

Witnesses G. M. HATCH, HERMAN Boson. 

